During an interview on ABC News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will have"overall security responsibility" in Gaza for an unspecified amount of time after their conflict with Hamas. He also expressed openness to “little pauses” in the ongoing fighting in order to facilitate the release of hostages.
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Netanyahu's remarks provide the clearest indication yet that Israel intends to maintain control over the region, which is inhabited by approximately 2.3 million Palestinians.
While he rejected the idea of a general cease-fire without the liberation of over 240 hostages taken by Hamas during their incursion into Israel on October 7th, Netanyahu indicated that he remained open to implementing smaller, tactical pauses. U.S. President Joe Biden had directly raised the issue of humanitarian breaks with Netanyahu during a phone call earlier that same day, however, no consensus was achieved, as stated by the White House.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, the number of Palestinian death tolls in the war has exceeded 10,300, with more than 4,200 of them being children. On Tuesday, a significant number of Palestinians fled Gaza City towards the south, with some traveling on donkey carts and most on foot. Many of these individuals appeared visibly exhausted and had only the clothes on their back, while a few were pushing their elderly family members on wheelchairs.
In the occupied West Bank, over 140 Palestinians have lost their lives due to the violence and Israeli raids. In Israel, the death toll stands at over 1,400, with most of the fatalities occurring in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered the conflict. Additionally, the militant group has taken 242 hostages from Israel into Gaza.
